Erik Reitan's ASP.NET WebLog

ASP.NET Controls in Silverlight 3

2009-08-28T23:25:00Z

This post provides quick steps to use the ASP.NET controls for Silverlight with Silverlight 3. (This information relates to Silverlight 3 and ASP.NET) The two ASP.NET Controls for Silverlight (the MediaPlayer control and the Silverlight control) were removed from the Silverlight 3 SDK. There are alternative ways to get the functionality that these controls provided in Silverlight 3, but if you wish to continue using these ASP.NET controls in Silverlight 3, one quick method is to add the System.Web.Silverlight.dll...(read more)

10 Quick Tips to Make Accessible Web Sites

2009-05-15T18:51:00Z

I was reviewing accessibility information today and found a quick list from the W3C that might be helpful to all Web developers. Also, it looks the link below includes these quick tips as a free business-card-size reference card (up to 500 cards are available at no charge). Cool! W3C - Quick Tips to Make Accessible Web Sites -- Erik Reitan ASP.NET User Education This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights....(read more)

Silverlight - Maintaining Video Timeline Position Between Posts

2008-12-11T03:01:00Z

This post shows how to persist the timeline position of a Silverlight video between postbacks. (This information relates to Silverlight 2, ASP.NET and JavaScript) Are you familiar with the Silverlight MediaPlayer ? It allows you to easily play a video in a Web page. I was thinking it would be nice to have a client side (JavaScript) way to persist the video timeline. This way, when you leave a Web page in the middle of watching a Silverlight video, you can continue where you left off when you return....(read more)

Silverlight HTML Bridge FAQ

2008-12-02T22:33:00Z

This FAQ provides answers to questions about Silverlight HTML Bridge. What is HTML Bridge? Why is HTML Bridge important? How do I use HTML Bridge classes in managed code? How do I call managed code from JavaScript? As well as several other questions, answers and code examples. (This information relates to Silverlight 2 and ASP.NET) What is HTML Bridge? HTML Bridge is a technology in Silverlight that enables you to access the HTML Document Object Model (DOM) from managed code, and to call managed...(read more)

ASP.NET - Silverlight XAP FAQ

2008-06-14T00:17:00Z

This FAQ provides answers to questions about Silverlight XAP and ASP.NET. What does XAP mean? Why is XAP important? How does XAP work? How can I create a .xap file in Visual Studio? And, several other questions and answers. (This information relates to Silverlight 2 Beta 2) What does XAP mean? XAP (pronounced ZAP) is the file extension for a Silverlight-based application package (.xap). This file contains the compressed assemblies and resources of a Silverlight 2 application. What is a .xap file?...(read more)

Silverlight (for ASP.NET) FAQ

2007-12-19T01:17:00Z

What is Silverlight?

Silverlight is a new Web presentation technology that is created to run on a variety of platforms. It enables the creation of rich, visually stunning and interactive experiences that can run everywhere: within browsers and on multiple devices and desktop operating systems (such as the Apple Macintosh). In consistency with WPF (Windows Presentation Foundation), the presentation technology in Microsoft .NET Framework 3.0 (the Windows programming infrastructure), XAML (eXtensible Application Markup Language) is the foundation of the Silverlight presentation capability. For more details, see Getting Started with Silverlight.

What is the difference between Silverlight 1.0 and Silverlight 2.0?

Silverlight 1.0 is a cross-browser, cross-platform plug-in allowing rich media experiences and interactive applications for the Web. Silverlight 2.0 extends the 1.0 plug-in by also including a light-weight .NET framework. This light-weight .NET framework supports the C# and Visual Basic programming languages.

Why was Silverlight 1.1 changed to Silverlight 2.0?

Previously, Microsoft had been referring to the .NET-enabled Silverlight release as "Silverlight V1.1". After stepping back and looking at all the new features in it, they realized that calling it a point release doesn't reflect the true nature of it. Consequently, they decided to change the name and refer to it as "Silverlight V2.0" going forward. For more details, see Scott Gu’s blog.

What platforms does the Silverlight 1.0 Plug-in support?

The runtime is available for Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X, with Linux support under development via the third-party Moonlight runtime.

How do I control the Silverlight 1.0 Plug-in?

You control the Silverlight 1.0 Plugin using the JavaScript programming language. Specifically, see the Client Reference section of the Microsoft AJAX Library.

What is the Silverlight client namespace?

Sys.UI.Silverlight. For preview information about the Silverlight client namespace, see the ASP.NET 3.5 Extensions Preview.

Can I completely control the Silverlight Plug-in using client script?

Yes. For more information, see the section title Using Client Script with the MediaPlayer Control of the topic titled ASP.NET MediaPlayer Server Control.

Where can I find out more about the JavaScript syntax and capabilities?

The ASP.NET web site details the Microsoft AJAX Library and has a Client Reference section that is helpful. For more information about AJAX, see the ASP.NET AJAX Roadmap.

Are there server side controls for Silverlight?

Yes. These are also in development based on the time of this blog post. For preview information about the Silverlight server namespace and controls, see the ASP.NET 3.5 Extensions Preview.

What are the Silverlight ASP.NET Controls?

System.Web.UI.SilverlightControls.MediaPlayer

This control provides a XAML-based player that runs media (movie or audio) in an ASP.NET Web page. The player can be represented through a number of pre-defined skins. The Media server control inherits from the Sys.Web.UI.SilverlightControls.Silverlight control. For more information see, the ASP.NET 3.5 Extensions Preview.

System.Web.UI.SilverlightControls.Silverlight

This control provides a way to integrate Silverlight in an ASP.NET Web page. This control inherits from System.Web.UI.Controls.WebControl, and implements System.Web.UI.IScriptControl. The Silverlight server control uses XAML in combination with the Silverlight plug-in and the JavaScript Sys.UI.Silverlight.Control class. Unlike the MediaPlayer server control, the Silverlight server control is generic and is not designed only to manage media files. For more information see, the ASP.NET 3.5 Extensions Preview.

*** Of course, the above information contains preview details. Details may change.

What is the difference between the MediaPlayer server control and the Silverlight server control?

The MediaPlayer control inherits from the Silverlight control. The MediaPlayer control offers ways to play media in a skin (frame with controls). The skin can be modified. It is XAML.

What DLL are the Silverlight server controls contained in?

System.Web.Extensions.dll. Note the latest version at the time of this blog post is version 3.6.

How do I use the ASP.NET MediaPlayer server control?

To use the MediaPlayer server control, you reference a media source file and select a built-in skin.

The following example shows the declarative markup for a MediaPlayer server control with property settings.

<asp:MediaPlayer runat="server" ID="Media1"

ScaleMode="Stretch"

AutoPlay="true"

MediaSource="MyVideoFile.wmv"

PluginBackColor="blue"

MediaSkin="Professional"

Height="240"

Width="320" />

The MediaPlayer control creates the Sys.UI.Silverlight.MediaPlayer client script class (based on the model used in the ASP.NET AJAX Extensions) that provides a JavaScript programming model to control the client player. By default, the Silverlight client player is the Silverlight 1.0 browser plug-in. For more information, see ASP.NET MediaPlayer Server Control.

What does the MediaPlayer server control use as its source?

The MediaPlayer control supports a variety of media file types, including .wmv, .wma and .mp3.

What is a MediaSkin file?

The MediaSkin is the frame for the media. It is XAML based. If you want to change the appearance of the MediaPlayer control's rendered skin, you can create your own XAML markup in a .xaml file. You can then reference the .xaml file by setting the MediaSkin property of the MediaPlayer control.

How do I use the ASP.NET Silverlight server control?

The following example shows the markup for a Silverlight server control that defines a simple calculator in XAML. The logic for interacting with the XAML is defined in a separate JavaScript class. The Silverlight server control references the file that contains the XAML markup (Calculator.xaml). You can also see how to reference the client-script library (Calculator.js) for the calculator code, and how to reference the JavaScript class (Custom.Calculator).

<asp:ScriptManager ID="ScriptManager1" runat="server">

<asp:ScriptReference Name="SilverlightControl.js" />

<asp:ScriptReference Path="calculator.js" />

</Scripts>

</asp:ScriptManager>

<asp:Silverlight runat="server" ID="Silverlight1"

Height="340"

Width="320"

Source="calculator.xaml"

ClientType="Custom.Calculator"

OnClientPluginError="onXamlError">

In its basic form, the Silverlight server control provides a JavaScript type that includes members such as the pluginLoaded event and the pluginError event. The Silverlight server control references a XAML file through the Source property. The code for interacting with the XAML can be in a managed-code assembly or in a client JavaScript library (.js file).

What does the Silverlight server control use as its source (the information it renders)?

XAML.

What is XAML?

XAML simplifies creating a UI for the .NET Framework programming model. You can create visible UI elements in the declarative XAML markup, and then separate the UI definition from the run-time logic by using code-behind files, joined to the markup through partial class definitions. The ability to mix code with markup in XAML is important because XML by itself is declarative, and does not really suggest a model for flow control. An XML based declarative language is very intuitive for creating interfaces ranging from prototype to production, especially for people with a background in web design and technologies. Unlike most other markup languages, XAML directly represents the instantiation of managed objects. This general design principle enables simplified code and debugging access for objects that are created in XAML. For more information, see XAML Overview.

What tools can I use to help me create XAML files?

Microsoft Expression Blend. For more information, see Silverlight QuickStart

Using Microsoft Expression Blend, Expression Blend and Expression Blend and Design – Team Blog.

Let me know if this information is helpful. I'll add aditional details.

Erik Reitan

Programming Writer - ASP.NET User Education

ASP.NET AJAX Client Events - Interacting with Client Objects

2007-06-07T23:51:00Z

ASP.NET AJAX makes working with client objects and client events much easier. The code below allows you to choose the type of event and the "test" object to act upon. I pulled a sub-set of client events from the W3Schools.com site (included below). Also, the code I'm working with began as an AJAX sample I created for the ajax.asp.com/doc site. Although now, this code is much more dynamic.

I included a number of events that you can select from the UI:

Events
keyup
keydown
keypress
focus
blur
change
click
dblclick
mousedown
mousemove
mouseover
mouseout
mouseup
select

I think the most interesting aspect of the client events involve the charCode verses the keyCode. The keyCode field is raised by the keyUp or keyDown event. The charCode field is raised by the keyPress event. The keyUp and keyDown events are raised for every key, which includes modifier keys such as ALT, CTRL, and SHIFT. The keyPress event is not raised for these single modifier keys. Try out the code below. You can select the type of event and the object to interact with. Once you have made your selection, interact with the "Test" object to see the event details.

Here's the code:

<%@ Page Language="C#" %>

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.1//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml11/DTD/xhtml11.dtd">

</script>

<title>Example</title>

#UpdatePanel1 {

width:300px; height:100px;

}

</style>

</head>

<body>

<asp:ScriptManager ID="ScriptManager1" runat="server"/>

<asp:UpdatePanel ID="UpdatePanel1" runat="server" ChildrenAsTriggers="False" UpdateMode="Conditional">

<p></p>

<asp:Panel ID="Panel2" runat="server" GroupingText="Select Event & Object">

<table>

<tr>

<td>

<asp:Label ID="Label3" runat="server" Text="Event Type: "></asp:Label>

</td>

<td>

<asp:DropDownList ID="DropDownList3" runat="server">

<asp:ListItem>keyup</asp:ListItem>

<asp:ListItem>keydown</asp:ListItem>

<asp:ListItem>keypress</asp:ListItem>

<asp:ListItem>focus</asp:ListItem>

<asp:ListItem>blur</asp:ListItem>

<asp:ListItem>change</asp:ListItem>

<asp:ListItem>click</asp:ListItem>

<asp:ListItem>dblclick</asp:ListItem>

<asp:ListItem>mousedown</asp:ListItem>

<asp:ListItem>mousemove</asp:ListItem>

<asp:ListItem>mouseover</asp:ListItem>

<asp:ListItem>mouseout</asp:ListItem>

<asp:ListItem>mouseup</asp:ListItem>

<asp:ListItem>select</asp:ListItem>

</asp:DropDownList>

</td>

</tr>

<tr>

<td>

<asp:Label ID="Label5" runat="server" Text="Test Object: "></asp:Label>

</td>

<td>

<asp:DropDownList ID="DropDownList2" runat="server">

<asp:ListItem>TextBox1</asp:ListItem>

<asp:ListItem>Button1</asp:ListItem>

<asp:ListItem>LinkButton1</asp:ListItem>

<asp:ListItem>DropDownList1</asp:ListItem>

<asp:ListItem>CheckBox1</asp:ListItem>

<asp:ListItem>Calendar1</asp:ListItem>

</asp:DropDownList>

</td>

</tr>

</table>

</asp:Panel>

<p></p>

<asp:Panel ID="Panel1a" runat="server" GroupingText="Interact with Test Object">

<br />

<asp:TextBox ID="TextBox1" runat="server" Text="" ></asp:TextBox>

<asp:Button ID="Button1" runat="server" Text="Button" style="display:none" />

<asp:LinkButton ID="LinkButton1" runat="server" style="display:none">LinkButton</asp:LinkButton>

<asp:DropDownList ID="DropDownList1" runat="server" style="display:none">

<asp:ListItem>Test1</asp:ListItem>

<asp:ListItem>Test2</asp:ListItem>

</asp:DropDownList>

<asp:CheckBox ID="CheckBox1" runat="server" />

<asp:Calendar ID="Calendar1" runat="server"></asp:Calendar>

</asp:Panel>

<p></p>

<asp:Panel ID="Panel1" runat="server" GroupingText="Event Details">

<asp:Label ID="Label2" runat="server"></asp:Label>

</asp:Panel>

</ContentTemplate>

</asp:UpdatePanel>

</form>

</body>

updateEventHandling();

// On change of DropDownList3, set handler

$addHandler($get("DropDownList3"), "change", updateEventHandling);

// On change of dropdownlist2, set handler

$addHandler($get("DropDownList2"), "change", updateEventHandling);

var eventVal;

var myArray = ['altKey', 'button', 'charCode', 'clientX', 'clientY',

'ctrlKey', 'offsetX', 'offsetY', 'screenX', 'screenY',

'shiftKey', 'target.id', 'type', 'keyCode'];

function updateEventHandling() {

// Clear handlers and hide all "Test" objects

var objectList = $get("DropDownList2");

var elementIDVal;

for (i=0;i<objectList.length;i++) {

elementIDVal = objectList.options[i].text;

$clearHandlers($get(elementIDVal));

$get(elementIDVal).style.display="none";

$get("Label2").innerHTML = "";

}

// Show the "Test" object and set the handler

$get($get("DropDownList2").value).style.display="inline";

eventVal = $get("DropDownList3").value;

$addHandler($get($get("DropDownList2").value), eventVal, processEventInfo);

}

function processEventInfo(eventElement) {

var result = '<br />';

var arrayVal;

for (var i = 0, l = myArray.length; i < l; i++) {

arrayVal = myArray[i];

if (typeof(arrayVal) !== 'undefined') {

// Example: eventElement.clientX

result += arrayVal + " = " + eval("eventElement." + arrayVal) + '<br/>';

}

// Display results

$get('Label2').innerHTML = result;

}

</script>

</html>

Learning C# - MSDN Links

2007-05-14T20:04:00Z

In addition to the ASP.NET MSDN links (see related blog entry), here are C# links to MSDN content. I hope these links are helpful in this format.

Visual C# Language
	C# Language Tour
		What's New in Visual C# .NET 2003
		Quick Survey of C# Features
		Why Use C#
		The C# Version of Hello World!
		General Structure of a C# Program
		Using Fully Qualified Names
		Creating and Using C# DLLs
		Comparison Between C++ and C#
		Documentation Map
	C# Compiler Options
		Building from the Command Line
		C# Compiler Options Listed by Category
		C# Compiler Options Listed Alphabetically
		Compiler Errors CS0001 Through CS9999
	Visual C# Code Wizards
		Using Visual C# Add New Item Templates
		Adding a C# Class
		Adding a Method to a C# Class
		Adding a Property to a C# Class
		Adding a Field to a C# Class
		Adding an Indexer to a C# Class
		Adding a Method to a C# Interface
		Adding a Property to a C# Interface
		Adding an Indexer to a C# Interface
	C# Language Specification
		1. Introduction
		2. Lexical structure
		3. Basic concepts
		4. Types
		5. Variables
		6. Conversions
		7. Expressions
		8. Statements
		9. Namespaces
		10. Classes
		11. Structs
		12. Arrays
		13. Interfaces
		14. Enums
		15. Delegates
		16. Exceptions
		17. Attributes
		A. Unsafe code
		B. Documentation comments
		C. Grammar
		D. References
	C# Programmer's Reference
		C# Tutorials
		C# Keywords
		C# Operators
		C# Attributes
		C# Preprocessor Directives
		C# Language Features

Learning ASP.NET - MSDN Links

2007-05-14T19:44:00Z

I recently read a post on http://forums.asp.net that asked where ASP.NET resources could be found. Here's a listing that I adapted from msdn that may be helpful.

ASP.NET
	Building ASP.NET Applications
		ASP.NET Introduction
			ASP.NET Overview
			What's New in ASP.NET
			ASP.NET Development Requirements
		ASP.NET Web Applications
			ASP.NET Web Site Structure
			ASP.NET Life Cycle
			Site Navigation
			ASP.NET Web Site Configuration
			Master Pages
			Themes and Skins
			State Management
			Globalization and Localization
			Custom ASP.NET Processing with HTTP Handlers
			Extending ASP.NET Processing with HTTP Modules
			Accessibility
		Web Forms Pages
			ASP.NET Web Pages Overview
			Programming ASP.NET Web Pages
		Web Parts
			ASP.NET Web Parts Overview
			Walkthrough: Creating a Web Parts Page
			Web Parts Control Set Overview
			Web Parts Page Display Modes
			Web Parts Personalization
			Web Parts Connections Overview
			How to: Treat a User Control as a Web Parts Control
			Securing Web Parts Pages
			Using ASP.NET Server Controls in Web Parts Applications
			Web Parts Control Description Files
			Creating a Data-bound Web Parts Control
			How to: Provide Optional Web Parts Controls
			How to: Enable Users to Import Web Parts Control Settings
			How to: Export Web Parts Control Settings
		Web Server Controls
			ASP.NET Web Server Controls Overview
			Working with ASP.NET Web Server Controls
			Individual ASP.NET Web Server Controls
				Standard ASP.NET Web Server Controls
				Data Web Server (ASP.NET) Controls
				Data Source Web Server Controls
				Validation ASP.NET Controls
				Navigation ASP.NET Controls
				Login ASP.NET Controls
				Web Parts Controls
			ASP.NET User Controls
		Data Access
			ASP.NET Data Access Overview
			Binding to Databases
			Data-Binding Expression Syntax
			Using SQL Server Express Edition with ASP.NET
			Securing Data Access
		Web Site Security
			Getting Started
			ASP.NET Web Application Security
			Managing Users by Using Membership
			Managing Authorization Using Roles
			Encrypting Configuration Information Using Protected Configuration
		Performance
			Developing High-Performance ASP.NET Applications
			Optimizing Performance in ASP.NET
			How to: Precompile ASP.NET Web Sites
			Monitoring ASP.NET Application Performance
			Performance Counters for ASP.NET
			How to: View the ASP.NET Performance Counters Available on Your Computer
			Design and Configuration for Performance
			Performance Considerations for Applications Using Services
			Caching
		Deployment
			ASP.NET Web Site Precompilation
			Walkthrough: Deploying an ASP.NET Web Application Using XCOPY
			Side-by-Side Support in ASP.NET
		Troubleshooting and Debugging
			ASP.NET Debugging
			ASP.NET Tracing
			Error Handling in ASP.NET Pages and Applications
			ASP.NET Health Monitoring
		Migration (ASP)
			Migration Overview
			Migrating ASP.NET 1.x Applications to ASP.NET 2.0
			Migrating ASP Pages to ASP.NET
			COM Component Compatibility
		Mobile Devices
			Mobile Web Development Overview
			Device Filtering Overview
			Creating ASP.NET Mobile Web Pages

FAQ - Web Application Projects

2006-11-22T22:41:00Z

What is a Web Application Project?

A Web Application Project is a Visual Studio 2005 project template.

Why would I use Web Application Projects?

The Web Application Projects template is ideal for web developers who are converting a Visual Studio .NET 2003 web project to Visual Studio 2005. The new Web Application Projects model provides the same Web project semantics as Visual Studio .NET 2003 Web projects. This includes a structure based on project files and a build model based on a single assembly. However, the new project type makes available all the new features of Visual Studio 2005, such as class diagrams, test development, and generics. The new project type also makes available all the new features of ASP.NET 2.0, such as master pages, data controls, membership and login, role management, Web Parts, personalization, site navigation, and themes.

Does Web Application Projects replace the existing template model?

The new Web Application Projects template does not replace the Web Site Project type introduced in Visual Studio 2005. Instead, it is an alternative project type that developers might choose depending on their requirements and their preferred development workflow.

How do I install Web Application Projects?

Currently, you must install Microsoft Visual Studio 2005 - Update to Support Web Application Projects, and then you must install Visual Studio 2005 Web Application Projects.

What are Web Site Projects?

The Web Site Project model is the default Visual Studio 2005 web project model.

What are the differences between Web Application Projects and WSP?

A whitepaper includes this information - Comparing Web Site Projects and Web Application Projects.

Which came first, Web Application Projects or Web Site Projects?

Before Visual Studio 2005, we commonly worked with “Web Applications”. Then, with Visual Studio 2005, the Web Site Projects template was introduced. Shortly after, the Web Application Projects template became available.

How does Web Deployment Projects fit into all of this?

A Web Deployment Project creates and maintains an MSBuild project file, and is associated in a solution with a Web Site Project or Web Application Project. A Web Deployment Project enables you to manage not only build configuration and merge options, but other tasks such as specifying changes for the application's Web.config file during compilation, changing connection strings, creating virtual directories, and performing other tasks at specific points in the deployment process.

How do I select Web Application Projects?

Once you have installed the update to Visual Studio and Web Application Projects template, you can select Web Application from the available templates.

Where can I find out more about Web Application Projects and related topics?

Introduction to Web Application Projects – MSDN Whitepaper

VS 2005 Web Application Projects – ASP.NET Forums

FAQ and Known Issues - Web Application Projects

Visual Studio 2005 Web Application Project - Tutorials and Help

ScottGu's Blog

FAQ - Health Monitoring in ASP.NET 2.0

2006-05-22T08:48:00Z

What is Health Monitoring?

Health Monitoring is a framework for monitoring status of running ASP.NET applications and logging significant ASP.NET application events.

Why would I use Health Monitoring?

Health Monitoring is runtime based for your production environment, so it provides information of your running ASP.NET applications
Health Monitoring gives event details rather than providing a number or a total, which can be useful to solve running application issues.
Health Monitoring is customizable, so you can tailor the event information they way you need it.

What are examples of Health Monitoring events that can be logged?

Application starts and stops
Failed logins and unhandled exceptions
"Heartbeats"
Successful and failed login attempts through Membership
Successful and failed URL and ACL authorizations by authenticated users
Valid and expired forms authentication tickets
View state validation failures
Compilation errors
Configuration errors
Unhandled exceptions
Request validation failures
Anything that causes request to abort
Requests queued, processing, or rejected
Specific or periodic monitoring event
Process start time and more

What are examples of locations where Health Monitoring events can be logged?

Windows event log
SQL Server database
Email
Console window using WMI
Trace output window

What are Health Monitoring events?

Health Monitoring events help you keep track of different things that are occurring while your ASP.NET application is running. These events are divided into five main areas:

Application Lifetime Events
All Audits
All Errors
Reqeust Processing Events
Heartbeats

What are Health Monitoring providers?

Providers consume Web event data. By default, the ASP.NET health-monitoring system can deliver Web event data using the built-in providers listed in the following table. More than one provider can listen for the same event, and more than one event can be consumed by the same provider.

Event Providers	Details
EventLogWebEventProvider	Writes Web event data to the Windows event log. By default, this provider is configured to write all errors to the Windows event log. Security operation errors are logged under the event name `Failure Audits` and logs all other errors are logged under the event name `All Errors`. To read event log data, you can view data using the Windows Event Viewer or read event log data programmatically.
SqlWebEventProvider	Logs Web event data to a Microsoft SQL server database. By default, this provider logs data to the SQL Server Express database in the Web application's App_Data folder. It does not subscribe to any events by default.
WmiWebEventProvider	Passes Web events to WMI, converting them to WMI events. By default, this provider does not subscribe to any events. To listen for WMI events, you can build an application such as the one illustrated in Walkthrough: Listening for WMI Events in ASP.NET Health Monitoring. For more information, see Using WMI to Deliver ASP.NET Health Monitoring Events. WMI applications do not have to be written in managed code.
SimpleMailWebEventProvider and TemplatedMailWebEventProvider	Sends an e-mail message when Web events are raised. By default, these providers are not configured and do not subscribe to any events.
TraceWebEventProvider	Passes event data to the ASP.NET page tracing system. By default, this provider is not configured and does not subscribe to any events. Tracing provides you the ability to start and stop event tracing sessions, to instrument applications to provide trace events, and to consume trace events. You can use the events to debug an application and perform capacity and performance analysis. For more information, see ASP.NET Tracing.

What are Health Monitoring profiles?

Profiles determine how events are collected by ASP.NET and raised to providers.

By default, there are two profiles named Critical and Default included in the configuration.

What are Health Monitoring buffers?

Buffers (BufferModes) define how health-monitoring events can be buffered before they are raised. The three included providers that can use bufferModes are:

SqlWebEventProvider (included by default)
SimpleMailWebEventProvider
TemplatedMailWebEventProvider

Each of the above providers inherits from the BufferedWebEventProvider class.

What are Health Monitoring rules?

The rules define the map of how an event is raised. At a minimum each rule must list the event name, the provider and the profile.

How is Health Monitoring configured and controlled?

The configuration is the main location to control what events will be monitored and how those events will be monitored. You can either modify the configuration using a text editor or use the API. For more information see, HealthMonitoringSection Class and ASP.NET Configuration Files.

Where in the configuration is Health Monitoring found?

The <healthMonitoring> section is within the <system.web> section of the configuration.

What are the sub-sections within the <healthMonitoring> section of the configuration?

There are five sub-sections within the <healthMonitoring> section. The Health Monitoring section looks like the following:

...

</bufferModes>

...

</providers>

...

</eventMappings>

...

</profiles>

<rules>

...

</rules>

</healthMonitoring>

Are there default values (a default configuration) established in the <healthMonitoring> section of the configuration?

Yes. These values are contained at the root web.config file. The root web.config file is located at %windir%\Microsoft.NET\Framework\v2.0.50727\CONFIG. By default, a number of eventMappings, providers, profiles, rules, and bufferModes are already established within the <heathMonitoring> section.

What are the default Health Monitoring events included in the configuration?

The default events are mapped in the root web.config file:

<add name="HeartBeats"

type="System.Web.Management.WebHeartBeatEvent, ..." />

<add name="Application Lifetime Events"

type="System.Web.Management.WebApplicationLifetimeEvent, ..." />

<add name="Request Processing Events"

type="System.Web.Management.WebRequestEvent, ..." />

<add name="All Errors"

type="System.Web.Management.WebBaseErrorEvent, ..." />

<add name="Infrastructure Errors"

type="System.Web.Management.WebErrorEvent, ..." />

<add name="Request Processing Errors"

type="System.Web.Management.WebRequestErrorEvent, ..." />

<add name="Failure Audits"

type="System.Web.Management.WebFailureAuditEvent, ..." />

<add name="Success Audits"

type="System.Web.Management.WebSuccessAuditEvent, ..." />

</eventMappings>

What are the default Health Monitoring providers included in the configuration?

The default providers are included in the following section of the root web.config file:

<add name="EventLogProvider"

type="System.Web.Management.EventLogWebEventProvider, …

<add name="SqlWebEventProvider"

connectionStringName="LocalSqlServer"

maxEventDetailsLength="1073741823"

buffer="false"

bufferMode="Notification"

type="System.Web.Management.SqlWebEventProvider, …

<add name="WmiWebEventProvider"

type="System.Web.Management.WmiWebEventProvider,…

</providers>

What are the default Health Monitoring profiles included in the configuration?

The default profiles are included in the following section of the root web.config file:

<add name="Default"

minInstances="1"

maxLimit="Infinite"

minInterval="00:01:00"

custom="" />

<add name="Critical"

minInstances="1"

maxLimit="Infinite"

minInterval="00:00:00"

custom="" />

</profiles>

What are the default Health Monitoring buffers included in the configuration?

The default bufferModes are included in the following section of the root web.config file:

<add name="Critical Notification"

maxBufferSize="100"

maxFlushSize="20"

urgentFlushThreshold="1"

regularFlushInterval="Infinite"

urgentFlushInterval="00:01:00"

maxBufferThreads="1" />

<add name="Notification"

…

</>

<add name="Analysis"

…

</>

<add name="Logging“

…

</>

</bufferModes>

What are the default Health Monitoring rules included in the configuration?

The default rules are included in the following section of the root web.config file:

<rules>

<add name="Failure Audits Default"

eventName="Failure Audits"

provider="EventLogProvider"

profile="Default"

minInterval="00:00:00"

minInstances="1"

maxLimit="Infinite"

...

</rules>

I understand the basics of Health Monitoring, but I still don’t understand exactly how to implement it. How can I get started using Health Monitoring right now?

Follow the steps below:

1. Create a new Web application in Visual Web Developer.

2. From the Website menu select Add New Item.

3. Select and add a Web Configuration File.

4. Add the following node before the end of the <system.web> node in the newly added configuration file:

<rules>

<add name="Heartbeats Default"

eventName="Heartbeats"

provider="EventLogProvider"

profile="Critical"/>

</rules>

</healthMonitoring>

5. Run your Web application.

6. Run the Event Viewer (eventvwr.exe).

7. Select Application in the right pane of the Event Viewer.

8. Notice that the “heartbeat” events for your application occur every 10 seconds.

What would be an example of using the SqlWebEventProvider to log monitoring event?

There is an example on the ASP.NET site that demonstrates the SqlWebEventProvider.

I understand that the root web.config file contains the default Health Monitoring support. What should I do if I want to modify the <healthMonitoring> section?

There are three points to note:

Use the Add, Remove, and Clear elements
Do not modify the root level config files
Modify using text editor or the API.

I understand that event friendly names are mapped to the event type within the configuration, but how can I find the exact events that are related to each friendly event name, such as “All Audits”?

Take a look at the WebEventCodes on MSDN. This list will give you a more specific list of events.

In the Event Viewer I see the event code (i.e. 1005) but how can I match that code to the specific event?

The list below will help you match the event code name with the event code number.

WebEventCode	Event Code
InvalidEventCode	-1
UndefinedEventCode	0
UndefinedEventDetailCode	0
ApplicationCodeBase	1000
ApplicationStart	1001
ApplicationShutdown	1002
ApplicationCompilationStart	1003
ApplicationCompilationEnd	1004
ApplicationHeartbeat	1005
RequestCodeBase	2000
RequestTransactionComplete	2001
RequestTransactionAbort	2002
ErrorCodeBase	3000
RuntimeErrorRequestAbort	3001
RuntimeErrorViewStateFailure	3002
RuntimeErrorValidationFailure	3003
RuntimeErrorPostTooLarge	3004
RuntimeErrorUnhandledException	3005
WebErrorParserError	3006
WebErrorCompilationError	3007
WebErrorConfigurationError	3008
WebErrorOtherError	3009
WebErrorPropertyDeserializationError	3010
WebErrorObjectStateFormatterDeserializationError	3011
AuditCodeBase	4000
AuditFormsAuthenticationSuccess	4001
AuditMembershipAuthenticationSuccess	4002
AuditUrlAuthorizationSuccess	4003
AuditFileAuthorizationSuccess	4004
AuditFormsAuthenticationFailure	4005
AuditMembershipAuthenticationFailure	4006
AuditUrlAuthorizationFailure	4007
AuditFileAuthorizationFailure	4008
AuditInvalidViewStateFailure	4009
AuditUnhandledSecurityException	4010
AuditUnhandledAccessException	4011
MiscCodeBase	6000
WebEventProviderInformation	6001
ApplicationDetailCodeBase	50000
ApplicationShutdownUnknown	50001
ApplicationShutdownHostingEnvironment	50002
ApplicationShutdownChangeInGlobalAsax	50003
ApplicationShutdownConfigurationChange	50004
ApplicationShutdownUnloadAppDomainCalled	50005
ApplicationShutdownChangeInSecurityPolicyFile	50006
ApplicationShutdownBinDirChangeOrDirectoryRename	50007
ApplicationShutdownBrowsersDirChangeOrDirectoryRename	50008
ApplicationShutdownCodeDirChangeOrDirectoryRename	50009
ApplicationShutdownResourcesDirChangeOrDirectoryRename	50010
ApplicationShutdownIdleTimeout	50011
ApplicationShutdownPhysicalApplicationPathChanged	50012
ApplicationShutdownHttpRuntimeClose	50013
ApplicationShutdownInitializationError	50014
ApplicationShutdownMaxRecompilationsReached	50015
StateServerConnectionError	50016
AuditDetailCodeBase	50200
InvalidTicketFailure	50201
ExpiredTicketFailure	50202
InvalidViewStateMac	50203
InvalidViewState	50204
WebEventDetailCodeBase	50300
SqlProviderEventsDropped	50301
WebExtendedBase	100000

What are the details that get logged when a Health Monitoring event occurs?

The WebBaseEvent provides the details of the information that gets logged for each event:

public class WebBaseEvent : System.Object

{

public static WebApplicationInformation

ApplicationInformation { get; }

public int EventCode { get; }

public int EventDetailCode { get; }

public Guid EventId { get; }

public long EventOccurrence { get; }

public long EventSequence { get; }

public object EventSource { get; }

public DateTime EventTime { get; }

public DateTime EventTimeUtc { get; }

public string Message { get; }

public virtual void FormatCustomEventDetails (...);

public virtual void Raise (...);

}

For more information, see WebBaseEvent Members.

How can I modify the configuration of another Web application using C# code?

Follow the steps below:

1. Create a Web application with the following name “aspnetexample”. Use C# and HTTP (localhost).

2. Now create a new C# console application. Add the following code to the console application:

// Add references:

// System.Configuration

// System.Web

#region Using directives

using System;

using System.Collections.Generic;

using System.Text;

using System.Configuration;

using System.Web;

using System.Web.Configuration;

#endregion

namespace HealthMonExample

{

class UsingHealthMonitoringSection

{

static void Main(string[] args)

{

try

{

// Set the path of the config file.

string configPath = "/aspnetexample";

// Get the Web application configuration object.

Configuration config = WebConfigurationManager.OpenWebConfiguration(configPath);

// Get the section related object.

HealthMonitoringSection configSection =

(HealthMonitoringSection)config.GetSection("system.web/healthMonitoring");

// Display title and info.

Console.WriteLine("ASP.NET Configuration Info");

Console.WriteLine();

// Display Config details.

Console.WriteLine("File Path: {0}",

config.FilePath);

Console.WriteLine("Section Path: {0}",

configSection.SectionInformation.Name);

// Display Enabled property.

Console.WriteLine("Enabled (old value): {0}",

configSection.Enabled.ToString());

// Toggle the Enabled property.

if (!configSection.Enabled)

{

configSection.Enabled = true;

}

else

{

configSection.Enabled = false;

}

// Display Providers Count.

Console.WriteLine("Providers Count: {0}",

configSection.Providers.Count);

// Display EventMappings Count.

Console.WriteLine("EventMappings Count: {0}",

configSection.EventMappings.Count);

// Display Profiles Count.

Console.WriteLine("Profiles Count: {0}",

configSection.Profiles.Count);

// Display Rules Count.

Console.WriteLine("Rules Count: {0}",

configSection.Rules.Count);

// Update if not locked.

if (!configSection.SectionInformation.IsLocked)

{

config.Save();

Console.WriteLine("** Configuration updated.");

}

else

{

Console.WriteLine("** Could not update, section is locked.");

}

catch (Exception e)

{

// Unknown error.

Console.WriteLine(e.ToString());

}

// Display and wait

Console.ReadLine();

}

3. Be sure to add the following references to your console application:
System.Configuration
System.Web

4. Run the console application. You’ll notice that Health Monitoring of your web application is enabled or disabled each time you run the console application.

Can the Health Monitoring subsystem be extended?

Yes, you can create your own providers, events and other objects to help customize the monitoring of your ASP.NET applications. For more information, see Web Event Providers and WebBaseEvent Class.

Where can I find out more about Health Monitoring and related topics?

ASP.NET Health Monitoring

How to: Install and Configure SMTP Virtual Servers in IIS

How to: Send E-mail for Health Monitoring Notifications

Web Event Providers (Custom Provider Example)

ASP.NET SQL Server Registration Tool

WebEventCodes Class

Walkthrough: Listening for WMI Events in ASP.NET Health Monitoring

System.Web.Management Namespace

First Post

2006-05-22T08:43:00Z

Today seemed like a good day to start up a blog. My plan is to post a few FAQs about ASP.NET. Let me know if you have any topics of interest. Thanks

Erik